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FBI Violated Electronic Communications Privacy Act

Posted by Soulskill on from the you-can-trust-us dept.

An anonymous reader writes to tell us of a report from the Washington Post which alleges that the FBI "illegally collected more than 2,000 US telephone call records between 2002 and 2006 by invoking terrorism emergencies that did not exist or simply persuading phone companies to provide records." The report continues, "E-mails obtained by The Washington Post detail how counterterrorism officials inside FBI headquarters did not follow their own procedures that were put in place to protect civil liberties. The stream of urgent requests for phone records also overwhelmed the FBI communications analysis unit with work that ultimately was not connected to imminent threats. ... FBI officials told The Post that their own review has found that about half of the 4,400 toll records collected in emergency situations or with after-the-fact approvals were done in technical violation of the law. The searches involved only records of calls and not the content of the calls. In some cases, agents broadened their searches to gather numbers two and three degrees of separation from the original request, documents show."

6 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. The FBI? Surely not! by JeffSpudrinski · · Score: 2, Funny

    The FBI violated our privacy and civil rights? Surely not, I tell you!

    -JJS

  2. 2000? What a shame they overdid it by mrRay720 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Had they collected 16 fewer records, it could have been so much more appropriate.

  3. Told you so! by copponex · · Score: 4, Funny

    After diligently criticizing the powers of government for over 11 months, we have more proof that Obama is destroying America.

    Sincerely,

    Your Fox Opinutainment Team

  4. Re:Better Dead than Red? by postbigbang · · Score: 1, Funny

    Ever read the Book of French Military Successes? Both pages?

    --
    ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
  5. You ignorant liberals just don't get it by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 4, Funny

    We have to sacrifice our freedoms to protect our freedoms. Even though our free society is better than an authoritarian one, authoritarianism is far better at protecting freedom. So, the only way to be free and have rights is to not be free and lose your rights. You dirty hippies get it now?

    --
    I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
  6. Re:Better Dead than Red? by Sir_Lewk · · Score: 2, Funny

    Minor correction: I'd rather be dead than a slave. Being an undead slave would probably suck too.

    --
    "linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)